Johnson,  Charles 


The  Mechanical  Processes 
of  the  Historian 


IRVINE 


HELPS    FOR    STUDENTS    OF    HISTORY 

No.   50 

The 

Mechanical   Processes 

of  the  Historian 


6/ 
CHARLES  JOHNSON,  M.A.,  FS.A. 


HISTORICAL     ASSOCIATION 


THE   MECHANICAL    PROCESSES   OF 
THE    HISTORIAN 


HELPS    FOR    STUDENTS    OF    HISTORY,    No.    50 

Edited  by  C.  Johnson,  M.A.,  H.  W.  V.  Temperley,  M.A., 
and  J.  P.  Whitney,  B.D.,  D.C.L. 


THE 

MECHANICAL  PROCESSES 
OF   THE    HISTORIAN 


BY 

CHARLES   JOHNSON,    M.A.,    F.S.A. 


LONDON 

SOCIETY     FOR     PROMOTING 
CHRISTIAN        KNOWLEDGE 

NEW  YORK  AND  TORONTO  I  THE  MACM1LLAN  CO. 
1922 


6.  a  as 
MS 

H4 


CONTENTS 

Introductory 


PAGE 


I.  The  Search  for  Evidence  -  -  -  8 

(1)  PRINTED    BOOKS                    -  -  -  -  9 

(2)  MANUSCRIPTS   AND    MONUMENTS  -  -  10 

II.  Formation  of  Collections  -  -  -  13 

(1)  PLAN  AND  ARRANGEMENT  -  -  -  13 

(2)  INDEXING       -       -  -  -  -  15 

III.  Book  Production     -             -  -  -  -  22 

( 1 )  PREPARATION  OF  MANUSCRIPT  -  -  -  22 

(2)  PROOF-CORRECTING             -  -  -  -  25 

IV.  A  Short  List  of  Books       -  -  -  -  28 


THE  MECHANICAL  PROCESSES 
OF  THE   HISTORIAN 

INTRODUCTORY 

The  mechanical  side  of  historical  work  is  doubtless 
of  less  importance  than  those  aspects  of  it  which 
have  been  dealt  with  in  other  "  Helps  for  Students 
of  History,"  such  as  Mr.  Crump's  "  Logic  of  History  " 
or-  Dr.  Marshall's  "  Historical  Criticism  of  a  Docu- 
ment." We  may  liken  it  to  the  bridle  of  Pegasus, 
since  without  it  the  historian  would  be  at  the  mercy 
of  his  materials.  The  unhappy  "  savant "  buried 
alive  in  an  avalanche  of  multicoloured  "  fiches,"  whom 
M.  Anatole  France  describes  in  the  preface  to  "  L'He 
des  Pingouins,"  is  a  parable  of  the  consequences  of 
neglecting  this  humble  side  of  historiography. 

It  is  true  that  the  parable  may  be  applied  with  even 
greater  profit  in  another  way.  The  mastery  of  the 
historian  over  his  evidence,  which  it  enjoins,  depends 
far  more  on  mental  than  on  mechanical  capacity.  The 
most  superb  "  technique ':  will  not  make  a  little 
painter  into  a  great  one,  nor  turn  the  faithful  gather- 
ing, sifting,  and  classification  of  evidence  into  History. 
Clio,  the  Muse,  must  still  be  invoked.  We  cannot 
reduce  to  a  formula  that  grasp  of  the  essential  facts 
which  atones  for  countless  inaccuracies  of  detail,  nor 
yet  the  gift  of  style  without  which  historical  writing 
is  sapless  and  unfruitful.     It  would  be  well  if  someone 

7 


MECHANICAL  PROCESSES  OF  THE  HISTORIAN 

could  write  a  "  Rhetoric  of  History  "  which  might  at 
least  warn  the  beginner  how  not  to  write.  But  it 
would  be  better  if  more  could  be  done  to  keep  him 
from  trying  to  amass  a  larger  quantity  of  material, 
or  to  essay  a  more  difficult  problem  than  his  mind 
is  capable  of  handling  to  advantage.  Much  labour 
is  wasted  on  ambitious  "  theses,"  which  would  be 
better  bestowed  on  the  editing  of  some  historical 
text,  or  the  description  of  some  small  class  of  original 
documents. 

But  however  limited  the  task  which  the  writer  sets 
himself,  it  will  be  lightened  by  a  knowledge  of  the 
mechanical  operations  involved.  These  are,  in  their 
order,  the  search  for  evidence,  its  collection  and  arrange- 
ment, and  the  production  of  the  printed  book. 


I.  THE  SEARCH  FOR  EVIDENCE. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  discuss  in  this  place  the  relative 
authenticity  of  the  main  classes  of  material:  that  is 
a  part  of  the  logic  of  history.  For  our  purpose  the 
distinction  to  be  drawn  is  that  between  printed  sources 
which  are  accessible  in  many  places,  and  manuscripts 
or  monuments  which  must  be  examined  where  they  lie. 

Here  the  first  rule  is  to  exhaust  the  printed  material 
first,  otherwise  much  time  will  be  spent  in  doing 
over  again  work  which  has  already  been  done  suffi- 
ciently for  the  purpose.  Here,  too,  will  often  be 
found  indispensable  guides  to  the  nature  and  the 
whereabouts  of  the  unpublished  material. 

On  the  other  hand,  printed  books  should  not  be 

8 


THE  SEARCH  FOR  EVIDENCE 

accepted  as  accurate  without  criticism  or  verification. 
The  amount  of  this  varies  with  the  extent  of  the 
author's  power  to  exercise  it,  as  well  as  with  the  defects 
of  his  printed  authorities.  Thus,  in  writing  a  history 
of  the  Crusades  it  may  be  necessary  for  him  to  employ 
Arabian  evidence,  without  being  an  Orientalist.  In 
such  a  case  the  only  course  is  to  take  it  at  second  hand 
from  an  accredited  authority,  and  say  he  has  done  so. 
But  he  is  presumably  able  to  check  the  accuracy  of 
his  Western  sources,  and  may,  on  occasion,  be  forced 
to  examine  the  original  MSS. 

(1)  Printed  Books. 

The  readiest  approach  to  printed  material  is  through 
Bibliographies,  of  which  there  are  so  many,  old  and 
new,  that  there  are  even  bibliographies  of  historical 
bibliography.  It  is  thus,  as  a  rule,  easy  to  find  out 
whether  a  bibliography  exists  of  the  country,  period, 
or  subject  in  question. 

Bibliographies  themselves  are  of  two  types,  select 
or  comprehensive.  The  Select  Bibliography  is  more 
useful  to  the  beginner,  especially  if  it  gives  brief 
descriptions  of  the  books  named,  as  well  as  their 
authors,  titles,  sizes,  and  dates  of  publication.  It 
should  be  subdivided  according  to  the  periods  and 
subjects  dealt  with,  and  should  have  a  good  index, 
and  cross-references  to  the  main  description  of  each 
book  from  the  several  lists  in  which  it  may  happen  to 
be  mentioned. 

The  Comprehensive  Bibliography  is  more  useful 
when  some  progress  has  been  made  with  the  subject, 
and   the   student   begins   to   have   some   idea   of   the 


MECHANICAL  PROCESSES  OF  THE  HISTORIAN 

references  which  he  can  safely  omit  to  look  up.  To 
this  class  we  must  assign  the  subject-catalogues  of 
great  libraries,  or  of  the  works  published  in  particular 
countries.  Even  more  useful  are  the  catalogues  of 
special  collections  brought  together  with  a  definite 
object,  such  as  the  Thomason  Tracts,  or  the  three 
collections  in  the  British  Museum  relating  to  the 
French  Revolution. 

The  great  Literary  Histories  of  various  countries 
have  a  special  value,  since  they  contain  valuable 
criticisms  of  the  works  described  and  often  give  much 
information  about  unprinted  material. 

To  supplement  the  bibliographies  and  bring  them 
up  to  date,  we  must  have  recourse  to  periodicals. 
The  easiest  to  use  are  those  which  have  good  indexes 
covering  periods  of  ten  or  twenty  years.  These  fill 
up  the  gaps  between  the  point  where  the  printed 
bibliographies  stop  and  that  at  which  the  search 
begins.  The  reviews  which  they  contain  often  help 
by  giving  a  clue  to  other  books  earlier  than  those 
actually  criticised. 

Still  more  useful,  when  they  exist,  are  the  lists  of 
books  appended  to  modern  general  histories,  and  to 
articles  in  biographical  dictionaries  and  encyclopaedias. 
In  every  case  it  will  be  found  that  one  clue  leads  to 
another :  the  finished  history  leading  back  to  its  sources, 
and  these  in  turn  suggesting  openings  for  enquiry  as 
much  by  what  they  omit  as  by  what  they  supply. 

(2)  Manuscripts  and  Monuments. 

The  same  considerations  apply  to  the  search  for 
unpublished  material,  and   many  of  the  books  which 

10 


THE  SEARCH  FOR  EVIDENCE 

served  as  a  guide  to  what  is  published  also  contain 
indications  of  unpublished  material. 

There  are  general  guides  to  the  Archives  and 
Museums  of  the  world,  as  well  as  to  its  Libraries, 
from  which  can  be  gathered  their  size  and  general 
character  and  the  conditions  on  which  students  are 
admitted.  From  these,  or  from  the  catalogues  of  such 
libraries  as  the  British  Museum,  indications  can  be 
obtained  of  the  guides  or  printed  catalogues  to  the 
several  collections.  These  should  always  be  con- 
sulted, if  possible,  before  time  and  money  is  spent  on  a 
personal  visit.  In  cases  of  doubt  it  is  wise  to  write 
to  the  custodians  for  information  before  going. 

There  is  less  information  about  private  collections 
and  more  difficulty  in  obtaining  access.  In  England 
much  help  can  be  got  from  the  reports  of  the  Historical 
MSS.  Commission,  although  they  do  not  deal  system- 
atically with  all  the  collections  known  to  exist,  but 
only  with  those  which  have  from  time  to  time  been 
brought  to  the  notice  of  the  Commissioners.  Such 
collections,  after  being  reported  on,  are  often  dispersed 
by  sale  or  owing  to  the  death  of  the  owner,  and  must 
be  traced  by  means  of  sale-catalogues  or  genealogical 
enquiries.  Nor  is  access  always  easy,  even  when  the 
owner  is  a  corporation:  for  there  may  be  no  funds 
applicable  to  the  payment  of  someone  to  supervise 
the  consultation  of  the  documents  by  students.  This 
should  be  borne  in  mind  when  complaints  are  made 
of  the  excessive  fees  demanded  for  access  to  the  MSS- 
preserved  (for  example)  in  Chapter  Libraries.  It  is 
much  to  be  desired  that  by  co-operation  of  the  Com- 
mission and  of  local  Archaeological  and  Record  Societies 
an  attempt  should  be  made  to  obtain  a  general  survey 

11 


MECHANICAL  PROCESSES  OF  THE  HISTORIAN 

of  the  material  in  private  hands,  and  to  induce  its 
owners  to  lend  their  MSS.  to  suitable  public  libraries 
for  consultation  by  students  under  conditions  more 
convenient  to  them  and  safer  for  the  MSS.  than  a 
private  library  permits. 

A  second  class  of  guides  is  concerned  with  the 
materials  for  the  history  of  particular  countries  or 
subjects,  and  these  incidentally  provide  information 
as  to  the  existence  and  whereabouts  of  material  which 
can  be  used  for  the  history  of  other  countries  and 
subjects.  Some  of  these  will  be  indicated  in  an 
appendix. 

The  guiding  principle  in  the  search  for  unpublished 
material  is  to  have  a  clear  idea  of  the  nature  of  the 
evidence  sought,  and  of  the  reason  why  it  should  be 
in  a  particular  place  of  deposit.  This  may  involve 
points  of  political  or  institutional  history,  or  of 
biography  or  genealogy. 

Thus,  for  instance,  the  documents  relating  to  the 
history  of  a  particular  country  must  be  sought  among 
those  of  the  various  kingdoms  or  empires  of  which  it 
has  at  various  times  been  a  part  as  well  as  within  its 
own  borders.  But  it  is  futile  to  search  in  London  for 
records  of  the  local  administration  of  Guienne  except 
in  so  far  as  they  concerned  the  central  Government. 
Documents,  again,  have  often  been  transported  from 
one  country  to  another  when  they  have  been  necessary 
for  the  administration  of  conquered  territory,  and 
other  documents  kept  in  the  same  repository  have 
been  transferred  with  them  by  mistake.  Thus  it 
happens  that  certain  of  the  records  of  Flanders  are 
divided,  on  no  clear  principle,  between  Brussels  and 
Lille.     But  in  the  main,  official  documents  must  be 

12 


THE  SEARCH  FOR  EVIDENCE 

sought  either  at  the  last  resting-place  of  the  institution 
which  produced  them,  or  in  the  hands  of  the  body 
which  succeeded  to  its  functions.  Thus,  the  records 
of  the  old  Committee  of  the  Council  for  Trade  and 
Plantations  are  divided  between  the  Colonial  Office 
and  the  Board  of  Trade. 

Similarly,  the  papers  of  a  minister  of  state  will  be 
found  either  among  those  of  his  department  or  among 
his  private  papers.  In  the  latter  case  the  succession 
to  his  property  must  be  examined.  The  papers  may 
be  with  his  descendants,  or  they  may  have  passed  by 
purchase  or  bequest  to  a  particular  library,  or  they 
may  have  been  sold  with  some  one  of  his  houses. 
Even  where  no  sale  takes  place  a  collection  may  be 
divided,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Harley  papers,  part  of 
which  were  carried  by  a  marriage  into  the  possession 
of  the  Marquis  of  Bath,  while  the  rest  are  among  the 
Portland  MSS. 

Despite  the  truth  of  this  principle  the  chapter  of 
accidents  has  to  be  reckoned  with.  Auction  sales, 
autograph  collectors,  and  museums  which  pursue  the 
pestilent  practice  of  picking  out  the  plums  of  a  col- 
lection, are  the  worst  enemies  of  the  searcher  for 
material.  So  the  net  must  be  spread  wide  that  good 
luck  may  supplement  good  management. 


II.  THE  FORMATION  OF  COLLECTIONS. 
(1)  Plan  and  Arrangement. 

In  history,  as  in  the  more  exact  sciences,  the  first 
step  is  to  commit  the  information  obtained  to  writing, 
and  to  prepare  a  means  by  which  it  can  be  readily 

13 


MECHANICAL  PROCESSES  OF  THE  HISTORIAN 

found:  the  "  Experientia  litterata  "  and  the  "  Tabulae  " 
of  Bacon.*  Human  memory  is  unequal  to  the  task. 
We  must  therefore  make  MS.  collections,  and  index 
them  in  such  a  way  as  to  be  able  to  lay  hands  at  any 
time  on  the  evidence  of  any  particular  point. 

When  these  collections  consist  of  extracts  from 
printed  or  MS.  authorities,  or  of  descriptions  of  monu- 
ments, or  of  disquisitions  on  points  of  special  im- 
portance, it  is  well  to  have  them  in  a  form  which 
permits  them  to  be  sent  to  the  printer  without  re- 
copying,  and  the  rules  as  to  size  of  paper,  margin, 
and  so  forth,  to  be  stated  later,  apply  equally  in  this 
case.  If  this  plan  is  followed,  the  sheets  can  be  filed 
in  any  desired  order,  and  put  away  in  filing-covers, 
tied  up  with  tape  into  flat  bundles,  or  put  in  cardboard 
boxes  properly  labelled  for  reference.  Smaller  divi- 
sions can  be  indicated  by  slips  of  paper  exceeding  the 
normal  length,  or  by  the  detachable  "  tabs  "  which 
most  stationers  can  supply.  This  is,  on  the  whole, 
more  convenient  than  using  notebooks,  which  must 
either  be  torn  up  or  recopied. 

References  to  be  looked  up  or  checked  can  be  noted 
in  a  small  memorandum  book,  if  not  too  numerous. 
Another  plan  is  to  note  them  on  small  slips  of  paper, 
a  sheaf  of  which  can  be  conveniently  carried  about, 
each  slip  being  torn  up  when  done  with,  or  put  away 
in  its  proper  place  if  wanted  again. 

The  titles  and  names  of  books  and  documents  used 
should  be  most  carefully  kept  on  cards  or  in  a  book, 
and  the  full  details  should  always  be  noted,  in  case 
it  should  be  necessary  to  print  a  reference  or  to  include 
the   title   in   a  bibliography.     It   is  particularly   im 

*  "  Novum  Organum,"  Book  1,  Aphs.  101  and  102. 

14 


FORMATION  OF  COLLECTIONS 

portant  in  quoting  documents  to  distinguish  between 
those  quoted  from  a  printed  or  MS.  copy  and  those 
of  which  you  have  examined  the  original.  In  all  cases 
a  sufficient  indication  should  be  given  to  enable  another 
person  to  verify  your  reference  for  himself. 

Dates  should  be  checked  at  the  earliest  possible 
stage  by  the  use  of  perpetual  calendars  and  tables  of 
eclipses,  councils,  regnal  years,  etc. 

Materials  may  be  arranged  either  chronologically, 
or  by  subject,  or  by  the  sources  from  which  they  are 
derived,  and  if  the  collection  is  large  all  these  methods 
may  have  to  be  used.  The  exact  plan  must  be  fixed 
by  the  use  which  is  to  be  made  of  them.  It  is  wise 
to  make  quite  certain  what  the  plan  is,  and  even  to 
put  it  down  on  paper.  Cross-divisions  cannot  be 
avoided  altogether,  and  cross-references  should  there- 
fore be  noted  in  the  proper  places  lest  vital  facts 
should  be  overlooked. 

(2)  Indexing. 

In  a  large  collection,  systematic  arrangement  and 
occasional  cross-references  are  not  of  themselves 
sufficient  for  control  of  the  material  in  all  its  detail, 
and  a  certain  amount  of  indexing  is  required.  The 
collector,  however,  knows  better  than  a  stranger  how 
to  find  his  way  about  the  collection,  and  can  thus  save 
himself  some  of  the  labour  which  the  indexer  of  a 
printed  book  must  take.  But  the  same  principles 
apply  in  both  cases,  and  are  therefore  stated  here. 
The  application  of  them  differs  very  widely,  even  in 
books.  Thus,  a  printed  collection,  like  Rymer's 
"  Fcedera,"  requires  the  indexing  of  every  personal 
or  local  name:  in  a  simple  narrative  the  number  of 

15 


MECHANICAL  PROCESSES  OF  THE  HISTORIAN 

references  to  these  may  be  smaller,  but  more  care 
must  be  taken  to  index  the  events  and  subjects 
treated.  The  guiding  purpose  is  to  enable  the  reader 
to  find  whatever  information  he  may  be  in  search  of. 
Assuming,  then,  that  a  printed  book  is  being  indexed : 

(1)  It  is  best  to  have  only  one  index,  of  Persons, 
Places,  and  Subjects.  It  is  usually  easier  to  consult 
a  single  index  than  three  separate  indexes.  But  some 
classes  of  entries  can,  with  some  saving  of  labour,  be 
grouped  in  sub-indexes,  if  it  is  made  clear  that  this 
has  been  done.  For  example,  in  a  work  on  art,  a 
separate  sub-index  of  names  of  pictures  or  artists 
may  be  more  convenient  to  the  reader  than  the  in- 
clusion of  these  names  in  the  general  index. 

(2)  The  index  should  be  strictly  lexicographical  in 
the  order  of  the  catchwords.  When  many  entries 
occur  under  the  same  catchword  they  should  be  sub- 
divided into  groups,  so  that  not  more  than  about 
a  dozen  references  need  be  looked  up  to  find  the  passage 
sought.  The  main  exception  to  this  rule  is  the  case 
in  which  there  is  no  means  of  differentiating  the 
references—fi.gr.,  "  Carlisle,  Letters  Patent  dated  at." 
In  such  a  case,  if  the  searcher  has  no  other  guide, 
there  is  no  means  of  saving  him  labour. 

(3)  When  the  same  catchword  is  used  in  more  than 
one  sense,  it  should  be  repeated  each  time  the  sense 
changes,  and  the  senses  should  follow  each  other  in  a 
fixed  order.  Thus,  places  should  come  before  persons, 
and  persons  before  subjects.  For  instance,  an  entry 
under  Lincoln  might  run  as  follows : 

Lincoln,  County  of,  24,  66,  105. 

Sheriff  of,  27. 
Lincoln  (co.  Lincoln),  45. 

Burgesses  of,  753. 
16 


FORMATION  OF  COLLECTIONS 

Lincoln  (Maine,  U.S.),  15. 
Lincoln,  Bishop  of.     See  Alnwick. 
Lincoln,  Earl  of.     See  Clinton. 
Lincoln,  James,  citizen  of  London,  34,  67. 

John,  53. 
"  Lincoln  Green,"  578. 

(4)  All  the  references  to  the  same  person,  place,  or 
subject  should  be  indexed  under  the  same  catch- 
word, with  cross-references  from  the  other  forms  in 
which  they  occur.  The  form  to  be  chosen  for  the 
main  entry  should  be,  as  a  rule,  that  most  likely  to 
be  familiar  to  the  searcher.  Where  this  is  uncertain 
a  definite  rule  should  be  adopted,  exceptions  to  which 
should  be  sparingly  allowed. 

(5)  Where  the  same  reference  constantly  recurs, 
it  is  useless  to  record  all  the  instances.  It  should 
be  noted  as  "  Passim,''''  or  "  pp.  1  to  180,  passim" 
as  the  case  may  demand. 

(6)  Places  should  be  indexed  under  the  form  used 
in  the  Ordnance  Map,  or  in  a  standard  Gazetteer.  A 
list  of  standard  spellings  is  being  published  by  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society,  and  should  be  followed 
when  applicable.  Where  the  identification  is  un- 
certain, the  form  in  the  text  should  be  followed,  with 
a  cross-reference  from  the  standard  form  of  the  name 
supposed  to  be  meant.  Where  many  forms  are  found 
in  the  text  and  identification  is  uncertain,  the  central 
form  should  be  chosen  on  the  usual  principles  of 
textual  criticism.  Place-names  with  descriptive  pre- 
fixes such  as  "Great,"  "Little,"  "Long,"  or 
"  Market  "  should  be  indexed  under  the  name  without 
cross-references  from  the  prefixes. 

(7)  Persons  should  be  indexed  under  their  family 
names,    if    known,    with    cross-references   from    their 

17 


MECHANICAL  PROCESSES  OF  THE  HISTORIAN 

titles  or  descriptions.  For  periods  in  which  family 
names  have  not  begun  to  be  used,  it  is  best  to  index 
under  the  Christian  name,  avoiding  such  catchwords 
as  "  Alius  "  or  "  Fitz,"  except  in  such  cases  as  "  Fitz- 
gerald "  or  "  Fitzalan,"  in  which  the  patronymic  has 
become  a  family  name. 

In  such  cases  as  "  William,  son  of  Thomas,"  or 
:'  John,  son  of  William,"  it  is  better  to  index  both 
Christian  names  if  they  occur  at  a  date  at  which 
surnames  are  unusual.  If  they  are  rare  cases  occurring 
among  a  multitude  of  surnames  it  is  enough  to  treat 
them  as  though  they  had  been  "  Williamson ':  or 
"  Thomson,"  and  index  them  under  "  William,  son 
of  "  and  "  Thomas,  son  of  "  respectively. 

(8)  Saints,  Popes,  Kings,  Jews,  and  Welshmen  may 
be  regarded  as  having  no  surnames.  When  they  have 
known  surnames,  cross-references  from  these  should 
be  given. 

(9)  Special  difficulty  is  caused  by  such  descriptive 

names  as  "  John,  son  of  William  of  London,"   "  Giles, 

prestesservant   of   Holt,"    and   trade  names   such   as 

"  baker "    or   "  smith."     Here,   other  references  may 

supply  the  surname  under  which  the  entry  should  be 

made.     If  not,  both  Christian  and  place-name  should 

be  indexed — e.g., 

William,  John  son  of,  of  London. 
London,  John  son  of  William  of. 
Giles,  priest's  servant  of  Holt. 
Holt,  Giles  prestesservant  of. 
William  the  smith. 
Smith,  William,  etc. 

(10)  Where  a  person  is  mentioned  simply  as  the 
holder  of  an  office  without  reference  to  his  individual 
character,  the  entry  should  be  made  under  the  office 

18 


FORMATION  OF  COLLECTIONS 

only.  Thus,  a  will  proved  before  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  will  be  indexed  as  "  Canterbury,  arch- 
bishop of,  Will  proved  before,"  and  not  under  "  Islip," 
supposing  him  to  be  the  holder  of  the  office  and  not 
to  be  specially  named. 

(11)  Subjects  should  not  necessarily  be  indexed 
under  the  catchword  suggested  by  the  text.  These 
are  often  not  the  first  which  would  occur  to  a  searcher. 
For  example,  it  would  be  useless  to  index  the  "  Ems 
telegram  "  under  "  telegram,"  while  it  might  properly 
appear  under  "  Franco-German  War."  The  indexer 
must  try  to  grasp  the  significance  of  the  statements 
in  the  text,  and  to  group  them  under  general  heads.  A 
particular  case,  of  which  the  details  are  known,  can 
usually  be  found  by  a  person-  or  place-reference.  Allied 
subjects  must  be  brought  together  by  cross-references. 

(12)  Cross-references  are  of  two  kinds,  simple 
or  double.  The  former  (See  .  .  .)  leads  from  a 
synonym  or  a  subdivision  to  the  main  subject;  the 
latter  (See  also  .  .  .)  links  one  subject  to  another 
which  is  distinct  but  allied. 

(13)  Cross-references,  whether  simple  or  double, 
should  be  used  sparingly.  For  instance,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  record  every  variant  in  spelling  of  a 
person-  or  place-name.  Where  two  of  these  come 
next  to  each  other  in  alphabetical  arrangement,  one 
can  be  omitted  or  the  two  combined  in  a  single  cross- 
reference.  In  the  same  way  double  cross-references 
of  subjects  should  be  limited  to  the  cases  which  cannot 
be  grouped  as  subdivisions  of  a  main  head,  though 
closely  connected  with  it. 

The  mechanical  labour  of  indexing  can  be  lightened 
by   delegating   some    of   the   work   to   an   intelligent 

19 


MECHANICAL  PROCESSES  OF  THE  HISTORIAN 

helper.  The  system  to  be  followed  is  essentially  the 
same  in  all  cases,  though  the  methods  differ  in  detail 
with  the  size  of  the  index  and  the  tastes  of  the  indexer. 

The  index  should  be  begun  as  soon  as  the  paging 
is  settled,  each  sheet  of  a  book  being  indexed  before 
it  is  "  passed  for  press."  This  permits  corrections  to 
be  made  where  the  index,  as  it  often  will,  reveals 
mistakes  or  oversights. 

The  person  responsible  for  the  index  should  either 
prepare  the  MS.  himself  or  mark  on  the  printed  sheet 
the  words  to  which  references  are  required.  A  general 
instruction  can  be  given  as  to  person-  and  place-names, 
but  subjects  must,  at  all  events,  be  marked,  and  in 
cases  where  names  occur  in  forms  differing  from  those 
to  be  used  as  catchwords,  the  identifications  must  be 
written  in  the  margin.  In  the  same  way,  subjects, 
the  catchwords  for  which  do  not  appear  in  the  text, 
must  have  them  written  in. 

The  entries  must  be  made  on  slips,  and  the  slips 
kept  sorted,  unless  the  index  is  so  small  as  to  be  easily 
made  in  an  alphabet-book,  which  it  seldom  is.  If  a 
typewriter  is  to  be  used,  the  entries  should  be  made 
on  long  strips  of  paper  marked  at  even  distances,  so 
that  they  can  be  cut  up  into  slips  of  equal  size.  It  is 
best  to  have  these  strips  narrow,  so  that  when  they 
are  cut  up  the  entry  is  across  the  end  of  the 
finished  slip.  Such  slips  when  made  into  bundles  can 
more  readily  be  examined  than  is  possible  if  the  entries 
run  the  long  way  of  the  paper. 

Each  word  should  be  marked  off  as  it  is  entered, 
and  as  each  page  is  finished  the  sheets  or  slips  should 
be  glanced  through  to  make  sure  that  the  page  numbers 
are  all  the  same,  and  that  none  have  been  omitted. 

20 


FORMATION  OF  COLLECTIONS 

The  slips  should  be  sorted  at  frequent  intervals, 
duplicate  entries  being  transferred  to  the  slips  on 
which  the  first  references  were  posted.  Some  people 
keep  these  waste  slips  for  future  use,  in  case  a  second 
edition  of  the  book  should  be  needed. 

When  the  book  is  all  indexed,  the  slips  should  be 
examined  to  see  that  they  are  in  order.  It  is  very 
easy  to  misplace  a  slip  and  thus  to  get  duplicate 
series  of  entries.  At  the  same  time  the  larger  heads 
can  be  gone  through  and  repeats  struck  out  in  the 
subheads.  The  printer  will  usually  omit  them,  but 
it  is  better  not  to  leave  it  to  him. 

While  the  index  is  being  made,  the  slips  can  be 
kept  in  order  by  having  a  box  or  trough  with  guide 
cards,  like  a  card -index  cabinet.  Or  they  may  simply 
be  made  up  into  medium-sized  bundles  fastened 
together  by  indiarubber  bands,  and  these  may  be 
packed  in  order  in  a  box  of  any  kind. 

The  actual  sorting  may  be  simplified  by  having  five 
boxes,  side  by  side,  each  divided  into  five  sections. 
This  provides  a  compartment  for  every  letter  of  the 
alphabet  but  Z,  which  is  rare  enough  to  be  left  out- 
side. The  hand  soon  gets  an  instinctive  feeling  of 
where  to  place  each  slip.  Needless  to  say,  the  groups 
thus  mechanically  sorted  must  be  checked  through 
as  they  are  put  away,  but  the  mistakes  found  will  be 
few  after  the  first. 

Before  sending  slips  to  the  printer  it  is  well  to 
number  them  with  a  numbering  machine  in  order  to 
avoid  loss  or  confusion  at  the  printer's. 


21 


MECHANICAL  PROCESSES  OF  THE  HISTORIAN 

III.  BOOK  PRODUCTION. 

(1)  Preparation  of  Manuscript. 

Manuscript  for  the  printer  should  be  on  one  side 
of  the  paper  only,  so  that  it  can  be  cut  into  sections 
for  division  between  the  compositors.  The  paper 
should  be  of  the  same  size  for  convenience  of  handling 
and  packing,  and  should  be  ruled  to  make  it  easier  to 
calculate  the  number  of  words.  It  should  not  be 
larger  than  quarto,  whether  written  or  typed,  since 
larger  sheets  are  apt  to  curl  up  and  will  not  stand 
upright  in  front  of  the  compositor. 

A  margin  of  an  inch  should  be  left  for  corrections 
and  headings. 

MS.  should  be  typed,  or  legibly,  but  not  too  legibly, 
written.  A  strikingly  clear  hand  is  a  direct  tempta- 
tion to  careless  type-setting :  and  more  than  one  author 
has  found  that  his  worst  written  MSS.  were  the  best 
set  up.  But  it  is  not  right  to  set  the  printer  too  hard 
a  task.  If  a  page  is  much  interlineated  or  corrected 
it  ought  to  be  rewritten. 

If  the  MS.  is  written,  footnotes  can  be  put  in  at  the 
bottom  of  the  page  without  inconvenience.  If  the 
author  types  his  own  MS.,  he  will  possibly  find  it  wise 
to  copy  the  printer's  device  of  letting  the  footnotes 
follow  the  passages  to  which  they  refer,  indenting  them 
a  little  to  distinguish  them  from  the  text. 

It  is  well  to  know  how  much  space  any  part  of  a 
book  will  occupy  in  type.  The  printer  will  usually 
give  a  very  accurate  estimate  or  "  cast,"  but  a  fair 
guess  may  be  made,  if  the  copy  is  typed,  by  counting 
the  number  of  words  to  a  line  and  of  lines  to  a  page, 
multiplying  them  together,  and  multiplying  the  result 

22 


BOOK  PRODUCTION 

by  the  number  of  pages.  If  the  MS.  is  written  and 
the  paper  not  ruled,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  count  one 
page  in  every  ten  for  lines  and  one  line  taken  at 
random  in  each  of  the  pages,  and  thus  obtain  averages 
for  the  number  of  words  in  a  page.  The  approximate 
number  of  words  should  always  be  written  on  the 
outside  sheet. 

When  the  number  of  words  is  known  it  is  easy  to 
estimate  the  size  of  the  book  by  taking  a  volume 
printed  in  the  style  preferred  and  finding  out  in  the 
same  way  the  average  number  of  words  to  a  page. 
The  figures  given  in  "  Whitaker's  Almanack  "  will 
show  how  much  space  will  be  gained  or  lost  by  using 
larger  or  smaller  type.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
blank  spaces  cost  as  much  as  letterpress. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  leave  space  in  the  MS.  for  any 
blocks  which  are  to  be  printed  with  the  letterpress. 
Blocks  are  charged  for  by  the  square  inch,  with  a 
certain  minimum.  If  the  blocks  have  already  been 
made,  impressions  of  them  can  be  taken  in  endorsing 
ink  and  pasted  on  the  MS.  in  their  proper  places. 

A  good  deal  of  trouble  may  be  saved  in  writing  by 
using  the  abbreviations  commonly  recognised  in  the 
printing  trade:  the  compositor  will  in  most  cases  have 
no  trouble  in  interpreting  them,  or  any  special  abbrevia- 
tions of  which  he  has  due  notice. 

Certain  points,  such  as  Title  Page,  Chapter  Headings 
and  Headlines,  Index,  and  Bibliography,  cannot  be 
completely  settled  in  MS.,  but  thought  should  be 
given  to  them,  and  as  much  as  possible  done  before 
sending  in  the  MS.  For  instance,  the  author  should 
know  how  he  intends  to  be  described  on  the  title- 
page,  and  should  allow  for  the  index  in  estimating  the 

23 


MECHANICAL  PROCESSES  OF  THE  HISTORIAN 

size  of  the  book.  This  will  reduce  the  number  of 
unpleasant  surprises  awaiting  him  at  a  later  stage. 

The  sheets  of  the  MS.  should  be  numbered,  pierced 
at  one  corner  with  a  bodkin,  and  firmly  fastened 
together  with  string  or  tape.  If  they  escape  from 
their  envelope  in  the  post,  they  will  then  be  all  found 
together  and  in  order.  They  should  be  packed  flat 
if  possible;  if  not,  folded  once  only,  the  long  way  of 
the  paper,  never  rolled.  A  roll  of  papers  not  fastened 
together  at  the  head  is  the  despair  of  the  publisher's 
reader,  and  he  will  certainly  be  correspondingly  slow 
to  read  it,  and  prejudiced  against  its  contents. 

Manuscript,  or  proof  which  has  taken  a  long  time 
to  correct,  should  always  be  sent  by  registered  post. 
This  is  not  necessary  when  there  are  few  corrections, 
since  the  printer  has  a  duplicate  of  the  uncorrected 
proof. 

A  word  must  be  added  on  the  subject  of  Appendices. 
They  are  best  avoided,  but  it  often  happens  that  a 
question  arises  which  cannot  be  discussed  in  the  text, 
or  within  the  limits  of  a  moderate  footnote.  In  such 
a  case  a  reference  should  be  given  in  the  body  of  the 
work  to  the  appendix,  and  the  appendix  provided 
with  a  reference  to  the  page  of  the  text  to  which  it 
relates.  A  special  case  is  the  Bibliography,  which  it 
is  now  usual  to  add  to  every  serious  work.  This  should 
be  cut  as  short  as  possible,  and  limited  to  works 
frequently  quoted.  It  should  always  mention  the 
place  and  date  of  publication  of  the  edition  used,  but 
the  titles  should  be  cut  as  short  as  can  be  without 
ambiguity.  A  mere  parade  of  authorities  is  as  wasteful 
as  it  is  annoying  to  the  reader. 


24 


BOOK  PRODUCTION 

(2)  Proof-Correcting. 

The  MS.  sent  to  the  printer  will  usually  return  in 
what  is  called  "  slip-  "  or  "  gahVy -proof,"  arranged, 
that  is,  in  columns  but  not  in  pages.  All  possible 
corrections  should  be  made  at  this  stage;  since,  after 
the  slip  is  made  up  into  pages  and  the  "  formes  " 
locked  up,  it  takes  much  more  time  to  make  any 
alteration.  Indeed,  the  insertion  of  a  line  or  two  of 
additional  matter  may  upset  the  paging  of  a  whole 
sheet,  or  even  of  two  or  three.  All  corrections,  not 
purely  due  to  the  compositor,  are  paid  for  by  time, 
and  add  to  the  cost  of  production  of  the  book.  As 
the  printer's  reader  is  not  always  to  be  depended  upon 
to  see  that  the  proof  corresponds  with  the  copy,  it  is 
best  to  distinguish  "  author's  corrections ':  from 
'  printer's  errors  "  by  using  a  different  coloured  ink 
for  them.  If  the  publisher  afterwards  makes  an  extra 
charge  on  the  ground  that  the  "  author's  corrections  ': 
exceed  the  usual  allowance,  this  plan  makes  it  easy 
to  see  what  was  their  actual  extent. 

The  accompanying  example  shows  the  usual  marks 
made  on  the  proof  to  indicate  corrections.  Be  very 
careful  that  they  are  legible  and  not  ambiguous.  Note 
also  that  words  in  small  capitals  which  are  to  have 
larger  initial  letters  can  be  indicated  by  marking  the 
initials  with  three  lines  as  for  capitals  and  the  rest 
with  two  lines  as  for  small  capitals. 

Remarks  addressed  to  the  printer  and  not  intended 
to  be  printed  should  be  enclosed  in  a  ring.  Insertions, 
indicated  by  a  connecting  line,  should  have  the  loop 
enclosing  them  left  open  at  one  end. 

If  you  are  in  any  doubt  whether  or  not  a  correction 

25 


~tu> 


MECHANICAL  PROCESSES  OF  THE  HISTORIAN 

Page  showing  corrections. 

£J       /JDo  not  try  to  correct  the  faults  of  hurried  making-ready/by 

Aa  weak  impression,  and  by  carrying  an  excess  of  ink  to(nide 

@         Athe  weakness/    Excess  of  ink  fouls  the  rollers,  clogs  the 

type,  and  makes  the  printed  work  smear  or  set  off.     A  good     irft-c 
print  cannot  be  had  when  the  impression  is  so  weak  that  the 
paper(j;ouchespjarelylthe  ink  on  the  types  and  is  not  pressed 
against  the  types.     There  must  be  force  enough  to  transfer  y. 
the  ink  not  only  on  to  the  paper^but  into  the  paper.     A  firm   ,/  tayr^ 
tAzjf"    £>/  impression  sLpuJti  be  had,  even  if  the  paper  be  indented.   / 

'     The  amount  of  impression  required  will  largely  depend  on 
(q)  the  making-ready.     MJth  carefufciaking- ready,  ^repression    s^   L- 

*         may  be  light;  roughly"and  hurriedly  done,  it  must  be  hard/      \l 
-c,C        .Indentation  IS  evidence  of  wear  of  type.  '  The  spring  and      i      y 

qJ resulting  friction  of  an  el/stic  impression  surface  as  most  felt 
-    ,      /  where  there  is  least  resistance — at  the  upper  and  lower  ends 
7/  of  lines  of  /ype,  where  they  begin  to  round  off.     It  follows 

that  the  laving  of  time  that  may  be  gained  by  hurried  and    tit 
rough  making-ready  must  be  offset  by  an  increased  wear  of     ' 
type.  '[That  impression  isJpesc  for  preventing  wear  of  type  nve.1  (5) 
*  which,i8  confined  to  its  surface  and  never  laps  over  mstm  its       '37 

edges.     But  this  perfect  surface  impression  is  possible  only        A? 
, .         on  a  large  forme  with  new  type,  sound,  se&  packing,  and       -AafaC 
J //  *-/  ample  time  for^Anakingjready.^  If  types  are  worn,  the  in-    ^J.        / 
'  //     /    dentation  of  the   paperby  impression  cannot   be  entirely 
a        (/^    prevented/  ^ood  presswork  docs  not  depend  entirely  upon  *j 
,,     '    the/pressAr  machine,  neither  on  the  workman,  nor  on  the  ' 


kvAt/2 


vuty  presswr  macuiim,  iieiiutjr  uii   me.ffurinuaii,  nur  on   1,11c  n_^, 

materials.     Nor  will  superiority  in  any  ««tfpoint  compensate  *  c/y 

j  •       for  deficiency  in  another  :  new  type  will  suffer  from  a  poor  ' 

OlJ     ./roller,  and  careful  making-rea^y  is  thrown  away  if  poor  ink  'Zr/Ur;Ata 

.  //  be  used/    It  is  necessary  that  all  the  materials  shall  be  ? 

?y     '      good,  that  t/fey  should  be  adapted  to  each  *6ther  and  fitly  , 

/         /  used.     A  good  workman  can  do  much  with  poor"materials,  L 
Iffy     but  a  negle'ct  to  comply  with  one  condition  ofteTTproduces 
/       as  bad  a  result  as  the  neglect  of  alO 


£447?  tPt   Of  the  foregoing  facts  are  carefully  studied  mafiy  diffkul-   fU, 
ties  will  be  overcome  in  obtaining  really  good  work 

trs.=  transpose.  stet,  with  dots  under  word,  cancels  correction. 

l.r.=  lower  case — i.e.,  small  letter  for  capital. 

The  curly  mark  indicates  a  type  upsido-do.vn. 

$=,!,/,.  I  =  a  space.  A  =  cant,  marks  omissions. 

Stops  (points  and  colons)  are  ringed. 

26 


BOOK  PRODUCTION 

is  intelligible,  write  the  word  in  the  margin  as  you 

intend  it  to  be  printed,  mark  it  "  To  read ,"  and 

put  a  ring  round  the  whole. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  have  a  specimen  page  set  up 
before  finally  sending  the  book  to  press.  General 
instructions  can  then  be  given  as  to  spelling,  capitals, 
and  style  of  printing.  The  printer  will  usually  be 
competent  to  carry  these  out,  and  much  correction  in 
slip  will  be  saved. 

If  the  corrections  are  very  numerous,  or  much  new 
matter  is  inserted,  mark  the  proof  "  Revise,"  with  the 
date  and  your  initials,  and  send  it  back  to  the  printer. 
If  it  is  nearly  right,  go  over  it  carefully  to  see  that  the 
Title-page,  Contents,  and  Chapter-headings  are  pro- 
vided, and  arrange  the  Headlines.  The  most  satis- 
factory plan  for  the  latter  is  to  have  the  title  of  the 
book  as  the  headline  of  the  left-hand  page,  and  the 
title  of  the  chapter  or  section,  or  an  indication  of  the 
contents  of  the  two  pages  on  the  right-hand. 

If  3'ou  wish  to  see  the  proof  again,  mark  it  "  Revise 
in  page."  No  important  corrections  should  be  made 
after  this,  particularly  none  that  involve  '  over- 
running " — i.e.,  alteration  of  the  page-divisions.  If 
any  matter  has  to  be  cut  out,  new  matter  of  corre- 
sponding length  must  be  inserted  on  the  same  page. 
When  done  with,  the  proof,  whether  in  slip  or  page, 
should  be  marked  "  Press,"  with  initials  and  date,  and 
returned  to  the  printer. 

It  is  usual  to  send  proofs  in  duplicate  or  triplicate, 
and  it  is  almost  always  possible  to  have  extra  proofs 
sent  to  friends,  who  may  have  undertaken  to  read 
them  and  assist  in  correcting.  In  such  cases  there 
is  usually  one  "  marked  proof,"  which  has  been  care- 

27 


MECHANICAL  PROCESSES  OF  THE  HISTORIAN 

fully  read  and  corrected  by  the  printer's  reader.  It 
may  also  contain  queries  from  the  publisher.  This 
should  always  be  studied  with  attention  and  returned 
with  corrections.  If  you  wish  to  keep  a  note  of  the 
corrections  you  have  made  you  should  copy  them  on 
one  of  the  duplicate  proofs.  The  final  proof,  with 
your,  and  the  publisher's,  instruction  "  Press,"  is  kept 
by  the  printer  as  his  voucher  in  case  any  question 
should  arise  as  to  payment  for  corrections. 

The  queries  on  the  "  marked  proof  "  may  be  either 
typographical — for  instance,  when  a  spelling  is  doubt- 
ful— or  material.  In  a  first-class  printing  and  publish- 
ing business  the  proofs  are  often  read  by  persons  fully 
competent  to  understand  and  criticise  the  books  they 
print.  So  you  should  not  be  surprised  to  find  a  query 
as  to  your  meaning  when  you  state  a  fact  inconsistent 
with  the  usual  informed  opinion  on  the  subject.  But 
generally  a  query  means  that  your  words  can  be 
understood  in  more  than  one  way,  and  that  the  printer 
wishes  you  to  remove  the  ambiguity.  On  no  account 
should  such  queries  be  left  unanswered. 


IV.  A  SHORT  LIST  OF  BOOKS. 

1.  Printed  Sources. 

It  is  intended  to  include  in  this  series  a  short  guide 
to  the  bibliography  of  History,  but  it  may  not  be 
amiss  to  give  here  the  titles  of  a  few  books  which  the 
writer  has  found  useful. 


28 


A  SHORT  LIST  OF  BOOKS 

General  Bibliographies. 

Langlois  (Charles  V.):  Manuel  de  Bibliographie 
historique.  (1)  Instruments  bibliographiques. 
Paris,  1896. 

Herre  (Paul):  Quellenkunde  zur  Weltgeschichte. 
Leipsic,  1910. 

A  very  unequal  book,  but  useful  as  attempting  to 
cover  the  whole  field. 

Chevalier  (Cyr  Ulysse  Joseph):  Repertoire  des 
Sources  historiques  du  Moyen-Age.  (i.)  Bio- 
bibliographie ;  (ii.)  Topo-bibliographie.  Paris  and 
Montbeliard,  1883-1907. 

A  vast  and  uncritical  assemblage  of  references. 

Potthast  (August):  Bibliotheca  historica  medii  sevi. 
2  vols.     Berlin,  1896. 

A  guide  to  the  great  printed  collections — alphabetical 
index  of  chronicles,  etc.,  with  particulars  of  publica- 
tion— index  of  lives  of  saints.     Indispensable. 

Wolf  (Gustav):  Einfiihrung  in  das  Studium  der 
neueren  Geschichte.     Berlin,  1910. 

Very  good  on  the  difference  in  kind  between  mediaeval 
and  modern  sources. 

Much  help  may  also  be  got  from  periodicals,  which 
bring  the  ordinary  reference  books  up  to  date — e.g.  : 

Historical  Association  :  Annual  Bulletin  of  Historical 
Literature.     London,  1911-1922. 

This  Society  also  issues  to  its  members  useful  biblio- 
graphies of  particular  subjects,  mainly  from  a  teacher's 
point  of  view. 

English  Historical  Review.     London,  1885-1922. 

Jahresberichte  der  Geschichtswissenschaft. 
Berlin,  1878-1922. 

Revue  Historique.     Paris,  1875-1922. 

History.  Quarterly  Journal  of  the  Historical  Associ- 
ation.    London,  1916-1922. 

29 


MECHANICAL  PROCESSES  OF  THE  HISTORIAN 

American  Historical  Review.   New  York,  1896-1922. 
Notes  and  Queries.     London,  1850-1922. 

This  is,  of  course,  a  mere  lucky  bag,  but  is  often 
useful. 

The  bibliographies  of  the  larger  histories,  such  as 
the  Cambridge  Mediaeval  and  Modern  Histories,  should 
also  be  consulted. 

Particular  Countries  and  Subjects. 

Gross  (Charles) :  The  Sources  and  Literature  of  English 
History  to  about  1485.     2nd  ed.     London,  1915. 

Monod  (Gabriel):  Bibliographie  de  l'Histoire  de 
France;  Catalogue  jusqu'en  1789.     Paris,  1888. 

Molinier  (Auguste):  Les  Sources  de  l'Histoire  de 
France  jusqu'en  1815.     Paris,  1901. 

Pirenne  (Henri):  Bibliographie  de  l'Histoire  de 
Belgique  jusqu'en  1830.     2nd  ed.  Brussels,     1902. 

Dahlmann  (Friedrich  Christoph)  and  Waitz  (Georg): 
Quellenkunde  der  deutschen  Geschichte.  8th  ed. 
Leipsic,  1912. 

Local  Societies. 

Many  valuable  articles  are  hidden  in  the  proceedings 
of  local  societies.  The  following  guides  are  useful  for 
the  periods  which  they  cover : 

Gomme  (Sir  George  Laurence) :  Index  of  Archaeological 
Papers,  1665-1890.     London,  1907. 

Index  (Annual)  of  Archaeological  Papers,  1891-1908. 
London,  1892-1912. 

Lasteyrie  (Robert  de):  Bibliographie  generate  des 
Travaux  historiques  et  archeologiques  publiees  par 
les  Societes  savantes  de  la  France,  1886-1904. 
5  vols.     Paris,  1898-1911. 

30 


A  SHORT  LIST  OF  BOOKS 

General  Bibliographies  and  Library  Catalogues. 

Sonnenschein  (William  Swan):  The  Best  Books. 
2nd  ed.     1903. 

A  revised  edition  is  in  progress. 

Fortescue   (George   Knottesford) :   Subject  Index  of 

Modern   Works   added   to   the   British  Museum. 

(Quinquennial     volumes),     1880-1920.  10    vols. 
London,  1886-1922. 

Wright  (Charles  Theodore  Hagberg):  Subject  Index 
of  the  London  Library.     London,  1909. 

Much  help  can  also  be  got  from  the  "  Dictionary  of 

National  Biography,"  and  from  the  various  historical 

and   biographical   dictionaries,    as   well   as   from   the 

'  Encyclopaedia  Britannica  "  and  the  German  "  Con- 

versations-Lexika. " 

2.  Unprinted  Sources. 

Among  the  "  Helps  for  Students  of  History  "  will 
be  found  several  dealing  with  different  branches  of 
historical  work  as  well  as  with  the  contents  of  libraries 
and  archives.  For  these  it  is  enough  to  refer  to  the 
advertisements  on  the  covers  of  this  pamphlet.  We 
may  add  the  article  on  "  Records  "  in  the  "  Ency- 
clopaedia Britannica  "  and  the  information  contained 
in  the  annual  volumes  of  "  Minerva."     See  also — 

Scargill-Bird  (S.  R.):  Guide  to  the  Principal  Classes 
of  Documents  in  the  Public  Record  Office.  3rd 
ed.     London,  1908. 

A  new  edition  is  in  preparation. 

Livingstone  (M.):  A  Guide  to  the  Public  Records  of 
Scotland.     London,  1905. 

Wood  (Herbert) :  Guide  to  the  Records  deposited  in 
the  Public  Record  Office  of  Ireland.  Dublin, 
1919. 

31 


A  SHORT  LIST  OF  BOOKS 

Langlois  (Charles  V.)  and  Stein  (Henri) :  Les  Archives 
de  l'Histoire  de  France.     Paris,  1891. 

Stein  (Henri):  Bibliographie  generale  des  Cartulaires 
francais  ou  relatifs  a  l'Histoire  de  France.  Paris, 
1907. 

and  the  various  guides  to  the  sources  of  American 
history  issued  by  the  Carnegie  Institution. 

Chronology. 

A  set  of  "  English  Time  Books  "  will  form  part  of 
this  series.     Others  are: 

Grotefend  (Hermann):  Taschenbuch  der  Zeitrech- 
nung  des  deutschen  Mittelalters  und  der  Neuzeit. 
Hanover,  1898. 

Cappelli  (A.):  Cronologia  e  calendario  perpetuo. 
Milan,  1906. 

Bond  (J.  J.):  Handy  Book  for  verifying  Dates.  4th 
ed.     London,  1889. 

and  the  larger  works  of  Ideler,  Grotefend,  Mas-Latrie 
and  the  "  Art  de  Verifier  les  Dates." 

3.  Book-Production  and  Indexing. 

Brown  (George  E.):  Indexing.  A  Handbook  of 
Instruction.     London,  1921. 

Jacobi  (Charles  T.) :  Some  Notes  on  Books  and  Printing. 
3rd  ed.     London,  1903. 

Collins  (F.  Howard) :  Authors'  and  Printers'  Dic- 
tionary.    5th  ed.     London,  1921. 


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HILLING    AND  SONS,    LTD.,   GUILDFORD  AND   BBHBH 


|                          DATE  DUE 

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2  7  1978 

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